Advice for new mothers of toddlers...

My parents are learning so many new things in this parenting process. I'm going through another life change into full-blown toddlerhood and its taking some getting used to for them. Here are a few tips I've taught them the hard way:

1. We toddlers love to help with all of your chores, dishes especially, and will always grab for the sharpest knife first. They're so shiny and pointy! 2. If given large quantities of blueberries for dirty-messy-fun-food-before-bath-time, we will pass black stools. This will send you into frenzied-internet-search-for-"toddler black stool" mode while assuming that your sweet child has some rare intestinal disease.
3. Two wobbly toddlers trying to hug will inevitably end up on the floor! And where there are two wobbly toddlers, there is bound to be an Aunt (or two) with a camera.

4. If you own a dog, you will need to switch his food to a Diet version, as he/she will gain immense amounts of weight from toddler food droppings and handouts. Also, it may be a good idea to invest in pet insurance as the full sippy cup thrown at the head of the dog from a tall highchair could risk injury. Shiner, too, has had a few months of learning about toddler habits and now resides under the highchair during mealtime for protection.

5. Go with your gut and take your baby to the doctor if they are acting strangely and causing you to miss out on sleep for long periods, there is probably a culprit....like a DOUBLE ear infection! That mixed with Mommy's sinus infection can lead to some unhappy times as Mommy discussed here, citing these circumstances, I've decided to forgive her for being short with me.

I think things are changing for the better now that I am out of daycare and spending my afternoons with one of the sweetest women ever! Maybe I'll even go a week without a cold...so far so good and its Thursday. :) Wish me luck.